An object of the invention is to remove large diameter particulates before they enter the production equipment prior to doing damage to the production equipment using a hydraulic choke mechanism, in particular, the invention relates to the removal of chunks of rock, iron ore, and other debris out of production systems for land based oil and natural gas wells, platform based oil and natural gas wells and subsea oil and natural gas wells.
This invention relates to a device and a method for removing large diameter particulates such as rock and iron chunks from a flow stream from a natural gas well or oil well.
A need has existed for a device and method, which can operate at the same pressure as the well. A need has existed for a device that is simple, efficient and inexpensive. Mechanical failures from flowing large diameter debris in a well stream into completion equipment are now frequent, a need has existed to reduce the tremendous maintenance cost and down time during production and drilling of the wells. Many efforts have been made to satisfy these problems in whole or in part, but none is known to have accomplished this inexpensively and efficiently.
With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent to one skilled in the art as the description proceeds, that this invention resides in the novel construction, combination, arrangement of parts and method substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention are meant to be included as come within the scope of the claims.
For purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe it. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Alterations and modifications of the illustrated device are contemplated; as are such further applications of the principles of the invention as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.
The invention hydraulic choke for a flow stream from wells with large diameter particulate matter of a finite amount. The hydraulic choke is an inlet with a defined inlet flow area and a chamber having a defined chamber flow area, wherein the inlet flow area is about ⅓ the size of the chamber flow area. The choke also has a gate disposed in the chamber surrounded by a housing separated from the chamber wall and a piston for engaging the gate against a seat. The choke also has a studded outlet in communication with the chamber in the same plane as the inlet and a studded solids removal outlet in communication with the chamber. The studded solids removal outlet is oriented approximately 90 degrees from the inlet and positioned to permit the large diameter particulate matter to fall from the flow stream. The invention also has a solids receptacle for collecting the large diameter particulates matter in communication with the studded solids removal outlet.
The invention is also a method of improving the operation of a hydraulic choke for a natural gas well or oil well. The method begins by flowing a hydrocarbon flow stream from an inlet into a chamber, wherein the inlet flow area is ⅓ the flow area of the chamber flow area, and wherein the chamber contains a gate surrounded by housing for engaging a seat and actuated by a piston. Next, the method entails flowing the flow stream around the housing in the chamber and removing a portion of large diameter particulate matter from the chamber as the velocity of the flow stream is changed from the inlet to the chamber. The method ends by flowing the large diameter particulate matter out of the chamber through a studded solids removal outlet.